This application claims the priority of German Patent Document 101 12 901.7, filed in Germany, Mar. 15, 2001, the disclosure of which is expressly incorporated by reference herein.
The invention relates to a distributor system for the supply of consumers.
A precondition for the widespread use of fuel-cell vehicles is that the necessary infrastructure be sufficiently accessible. When methanol-operated fuel-cell vehicles are used, conversion measures may be necessary at filling stations, so that methanol can be offered for sale. When hydrogen-operated fuel-cell vehicles are employed, it is necessary to have a sufficient hydrogen infrastructure which can be reached without great effort even by the private operator of the fuel-cell vehicle.
The provision of a sufficient infrastructure of this kind for the supply of fuel-cell vehicles is cost-intensive and time-consuming. This means, however, that there is no guarantee that an appropriately equipped filling station for fuel-cell vehicles can be reached. Furthermore, in a transitional period when conventionally operated vehicles are to be supplied in large numbers, large quantities of stocks of a wide variety of fuels have to be kept in reserve at filling stations. It consequently becomes more difficult and more costly to introduce vehicles operated by fuel cells.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,065,511 A1 discloses a refuelling system for vehicles, in which, for example, commercial vehicles can be refuelled by means of a tanker in a similar way to aircraft being refuelled in the air by refuelling aircraft. For this purpose, vehicles are parked on a predetermined parking area. At the same time, a tanker is requested for this area and payment for refuelling is initiated. The vehicle can be refueled while the driver has left the vehicle and is performing other activities or is relaxing. Vehicle servicing is likewise possible. On leaving the area, the driver receives an inventory of the filling quantity and refueling costs.
An object on which the invention is based is to specify a distributor system for the supply of consumers, which makes a sufficient infrastructure available, without complicated conversion measures having to be carried out at filling stations.
This object is achieved according to preferred embodiments of the invention by providing a distributor system for the supply of a stationary fuel-cell system with a combustible via a combustible source, the stationary fuel-cell system being assigned to one or more buildings arranged in a stationary quarter and serving for supplying the building or buildings with power and/or heat, and the distributor system having an extraction station in the stationary quarter assigned to the combustible source for supplying mobile consumers with the combustible or with a fuel extracted from the latter, the mobile consumers having a mobile fuel-cell system and a storage tank.
According to the invention, an infrastructure for the supply of buildings with fuel, which is intended for the provision of power and/or heat for the buildings, is utilized for the supply of mobile consumers.
An advantage of the solution according to the invention is that there is no need for complicated conversions and investments at existing filling stations, since existing stationary systems can be used for the refueling of mobile consumers. At the same time, the refueling possibilities according to the invention are so widespread that they can easily be reached.
It should be understood without saying that the features mentioned above and those still to be explained below can be used not only in a combination specified in each case, but also in other combinations or alone, without departing from the scope of the present invention.
Other objects, advantages and novel features of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description of the invention when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.